02 December 2008

Happy holidays from Charlene Cothran! The "ex-gay" (or is it merely celibate?) and former lesbian publisher of Venus Magazine, once the leading black-oriented lesbian magazine in the nation, now has officially crossed to the dark side by announcing the creation of an ex-gay ministry to "prevent homosexuality in today's youth."

Cotharn details the plans for her ministry at the former virtual home of Venus—now devoted to ex-gay propaganda—and in a holiday-themed fundraising email blast because "preservation of the family is what Thanksgiving celebrates."

I am also thankful to introduce The EVIDENCE Ministry, Inc. God has been gracious, merciful and patient with us all. He has allowed our talented Board of Directors, whom we will introduce soon, to carefully lay the foundation for a loving ministry whose mission is to reach those who want to be free from homosexuality with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to offer tools to prevent homosexuality in today's youth and to offer hope & spiritual healing to parents and family members of gays and lesbians.

The punchline is Cothran's appeal for your dollars. "Our prayer is that God will send 100 people to make a one-time donation of $300 or more or to donate $30 a month for one year."

Cothran wants substantial donations to fund a multi-platform broadcast ministry—with her as the host of course—on radio, DVD and internet. "Charlene Cothran has elevated her rabid capitalist 'ex-gay' charades from a magazine to a 'ministry'," writes Alicia Banks, who forwarded the email to my inbox. "Same twisted joke. New toxic punchline."

Banks is spot-on. The Evidence Ministry Inc is a business. Apparently it is not recognized as a tax deductible church or ministry—at least not yet—and the fundraising appeal and its webpage do not say the ministry is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity. Cothran claims she "will use 100% of your Year-End donation to achieve our ministry goals." We'll have to take her word for it.

Cothran's reinvention as a broadcast ex-gay "should be a treat," writes Clay Cane, who interviewed Cothran
last year when she famously boasted of being "freed from the bondage
of lesbianism." Clay compares Cothran's ex-gay-for-pay ministry to "those modeling agencies that are advertised in the back of the Village Voice—if they have to ask you for money, it isn't legit."

"Cothran and Mcclurkin are no longer gay, this is is theatrical sarcasm on your part and alas very typical ..."

You can be homosexual without being gay, NN. These people (Cothran & McClurkin) still have homosexual desires--whether they act on them is another story. The poin is that they f...k up other gay people's emotional well-being by lying about what it means to be gay.

For instance, they'll claim that all gay people are sad and sexually promiscuous. No, their mentally challenged asses were sexually promiscuous, and filled with guilt because of it, and because they coulcn't accept themselves--that made them sad (along with anti-gay hatred in our own communities). Also, homosexuals like McClurkin & Cothran can sometimes be the most cruel and sadistic in the gay world because they're always looking for someone to blame for their unhappiness.

The Lord must find them quite boring and un-interesting.

Homos like McClurkin and Cothran are sad because they couldn't live with being gay.

Well, ex-gay or not, she sure is a "Christian" doing what they do best, beg for money, and, beg they can, while preaching hate. And, then, there is the question about who did not do her makeup for that show.....

Derrick that is very insightful ... If you look into Charlene Cotran's history she became 'ex-gay' after a relaionship went sour. She was unhappy and equated her unhappiness with being gay. As you said, she and Donnie were promiscous and unhappy and thought everyone else is.

I am black gay and my family is French West African. The religious prejudice is very strong in my homeland and even among our people here in New York area. you can't just ake up and be ex gay.

What a sad, pathetic woman. She ruined her life and hopes to ruin other black gay men and lesbians. If you read her interview, she clearly says she is celibate and does not have sex. I think Miss McClurkin claims the same thing.

Not having sex does not mean you are straight or not gay. If you still think about members of same sex, you are gay!

NN ... I am so glad to see Charlene Cothran has fellow miserable self hating gays around who will defend her.

My aunt and uncle forced their gay son into church and religion about ten years ago. He turned out miserable and closeted and married a church girl and has become a horible husband and father. I pray for these people.

We can apply the same value added judgment as Cothran and others do. She claims she is NOT gay but does not say she is SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO MEN. She hints that she still has thoughts of women. Sorry my friend, but THIS is very typical.

oh to be on the side with all the money-must be nice for ole girl. she is a disgrace. no more than a puppet for those bastards who claim to follow a man who said to love-while all they seem to do is hate.

I can't speak for all readers of this site, but I hardly need Rod or anyone else to point out a sad charlatan like Cothran.

If I believed she really had some religious transformation and actually believed she was doing the right thing, I'd just shake my head. But her obvious greed is showing, so jigs up.

Believe the drivel she and McClurkin spew if it makes you sleep better. But Donnie still LOVES himself some men, and Charlene dreams of puttin' a ring on Beyonce.

Those two, like most ex-gays, haven't changed. They may be celibate -- or even engaged in a passionless relationship doomed to fail miserably in short order, but they've hardly re-wired their brains to desire something new by sheer force of will.

However, if you believe that -- maybe the three of you can do some joint therapy thingie. You'll probably get a discount.